Post by angelicavaughn on Feb 9, 2019 19:54:03 GMT -5
Listen close, Listen well
For I have a story to tell
It begins not here,
but two steps from hell
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For I have a story to tell
It begins not here,
but two steps from hell
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It was a dream, surely. It mustâve been. If it wasnât, all notions of sanity might as well be thrown out of the window.
Angelica had gone for her evening walk; a tradition much cherished whenever she was lucky enough to find herself at home. Much of her life was spent living out of a suitcase, but now she was able to enjoy the comforts of her ranch and its surroundings.
Yet not long after sheâd started walking, her thoughts set on the match that lay ahead, her contemplations were interrupted by something strange. This place⌠it could not exist. She hadnât wandered far, and yet she felt no coarse sand underneath her feet but lush grass. It never grew this thick or green in these parts of the state, nor did the trees that grew alongside the plane. Their leaves were grand and colorful, their trunks thick and powerful, towering above her with all of natureâs splendor. Flowers sprang at their bases, guiding Angelica towards what seemed like a forest that she knew couldnât be real.
âIt may be a fantasy, it may be a dream,â Angie thought, âbut it is mine and it is a good one.â
As she passed through the thick of trees, birds chirping at her from all angles despite dusk having long since passed, Angelica eventually stumbled on a seemingly infinite field. It reached as far as her Hightower eyes could see, her jaw dropping at the marvelous sight. She spotted a pool glistening under the moonlight, her feet immediately guiding her towards it. The surface of the water was still, and the reeds on the edge were as immobile as if they were made out of steel. She heard frogs croak, yet she saw none, as if the only thing that existed was their sound.
Angelica crouched at the edge of the pool. She saw her own face reflected on the surface, clear and sharp as day, like looking in a mirror. Her golden locks fell over her shoulders, nearly touching the water. She brushed them back over her ears, before pointing a long, dainty finger at her own reflection. Carefully, she dipped it into the pool, concentric circles rippling from the spot. Her face was disturbed, as if the camera pointed at her had gone out of focus, before it slowly reset itself and the water became calm again.
Angelica sighed as she looked at herself. Was this the face of a World Champion?
Was this the face of a woman who could carry a company that, for years and years, had been such a benchmark of consistent quality in one of the most competitive industries in the world?
Was this the face of a generation, the face that people looked to in times of need?
Vanity bode her to say yes, but that wasnât her. Angelica had always been a humble person, remembering exactly from whence she came and that nothing ever came without hard work. And yet, even at her most humble she had to BELIEVE. Believe that she had what it took to take from Alan Wallace the thing he cherished most. Believe that she could make him look human again. But then why was that so hard? Even IF sheâd beaten him before? Losing to Zane Scott had made her realize the dangers of vanity. Maybe thatâs why she was so nervous about facing a man who literally prided himself on that particular aspect of his character.
For the first time, Angelica felt the sensation of wind, as if something had stirred inside this realm. The water rippled softly, disturbing the edges of her face. Frustrated, the golden-haired contender smacked the surface of the water with the palm of her hand. Soft ripples turned to crude splashes, shattering her likeness.
âWhy do I doubt myself like this?â she shouted at the pool, her own fractured reflection the target of her resentment. Her voice carried far in the dark of night, echoing around the seemingly infinite plain. âWhy canât I be who Iâm supposed to be? Why am I so alone??â
Angelica shook her head in despair. She had friends, and family, but she truly did feel alone. Sarah and Kenzi had each other. Her mother and Dave had each other. Roxy and Vinnie had each other. But days before the biggest match of her life, here she sat at the edge of a surrealistic pool that made her question her own sanity.
Another breeze tingled her hair and cheeks. As it brushed past, it seemed to carry a voice, soft but distinct. Kind, but powerful. Hardly audible, but carrying undeniable authority.
âAngelicaâŚâ
It was a voice she didnât know, and yet it sounded strangely familiar. In most cases, such a thing would terrify her, chilling her down to her very spine⌠yet now, it felt comforting. She looked up, her eyes darting back and forth as she tried to locate the source. She looked back at her own reflection from a different angle as the water tried to puzzle her likeness together again. But instead, the silhouette of a man formed from the ripples. Angelica gasped and looked up just in time to see a tall, bright specter appear on the waterâs surface. He had thick arms folded together across a broad chest. His towering presence was made even more striking by the snow white hair that shimmered underneath the moonlight. And his face⌠his face was one she knew. It adorned countless paintings in the halls and homes of Lacklanland. Crowned dozens of statues inside of its borders. And its eyes⌠its eyes were hers.
ââŚfather?â
The specter of Jean-Paul Lacklan allowed itself the faintest of smiles as he walked towards her across the face of the pool, disturbing it ever so slightly. Angelica was frozen in place, but not because fear had overtaken her. It was disbelief. It was awe.
âMy daughter.â
Angelica rose to her feet as he came to a standstill. She quickly dipped the tip of one of her toes in the water to see if it was actually solid. No such luck. Jean-Paulâs ghost observed her, taking in every inch of the child he had never known. Angie looked back at him, cocking her head. She hesitated to say anything, wondering if any words would even come out. If this was a dream, and how could it not be, words often stuck in the back of her throat. But when she quickly pinched herself and a flash of pain shot through her arm, she began to doubt even that.
âAre you⌠real?â
âWhy would I not be?â he stated matter-of-factly. âEven if I am just a figment of your imagination, or a subconscious desire, would I be any less real to you? I think not, my dear child. But regardless of what I am, I think the more pressing concern is⌠what are you?â
âWhat I am? Iâm⌠me!â
The question confused her. Not in the least because she couldnât immediately give him the answer he seemed to want.
âIâm just Angelica. Angie.â
And it was then that Angelica realized just where Sarahâs eyerolls came from. It was a simple move, so strikingly familiar it was almost comical.
âNo, girl. You are so much more than that. Like your sister, you possess the Lacklan blood. But whereas she has embraced its power, you hide from it. I have watched you from afar, girl. Your destiny scares you. But you cannot run from your past. You cannot deny your beginnings. You come from a line of warriors. From breakers of bodies and spirits. As a Lacklan, you are meant to be the vanguard of a lesserâs destruction. You were never meant to be the happy-go-lucky child who seeks to unify the world through peace and love. Not in the way you propagate. In the end, that will lead to nothing.â
Angelica couldnât believe what she was hearing. All this time sheâd spent trying to do the right thing, all this time sheâd spent trying to be a leading example; he was just going to throw it in her face? As if she was a failure? She shook her head. She did not accept that! Her heart started to race faster than the incessant sound of crickets in the background.
âNo. Youâre wrong!â
âAm I?â
The specter of Jean-Paul Lacklan raised an eyebrow, yet remained otherwise motionless. Angelica cast her eyes downwards, gritting her teeth.
âDo not misunderstand me, Angelica. I AM proud of what youâve accomplished. Proud of the woman you have become. You are strong, much stronger than you give yourself credit for. You travel the world, making arenaâs and opponents shake at their very cores. Youâre the wrestling prodigy that Iâve always wanted. You are my beloved Sarahâs equal in every aspect in that regard. Your kicks are the bane of every fool to step into the same ring as you. Your relentless submission techniques could squeeze the life out of a grizzly bear. You have tasted victory at both ends of the world. But can you conquer it? Can you defeat Alan Wallace when it matters most?â
âThat is a question Iâve been asking myself, too.â Angelica looked up again, staring into the eyes that were identical to hers. âAnd I was hoping you could give me the answers I seek, not heap more doubt on my shoulders.â
âOf course. But what good would lying do?â
She gasped. âWhat do you mean by that? You donât think I can beat him??â
âOn the contrary. You have every tool you need, Angelica. Itâs in your blood. Itâs inside of you. However, you are stubborn and foolhardy. Traits Iâd usually admire in one of my own. Yet youâre like a blacksmith refusing to use a hammer. A stonemason who has cast aside his mallet. A lumberjack trying to snap a tree in half with his bare hands. Why, Angelica? Because of some naĂŻve notion that it is the right thing to do?â
âWellâŚâ âWell, yesâ she wanted to respond. That was the exact reason. But he didnât let her finish.
âI realize youâre fighting a beast of a different sort at Infinity; but do you remember when you won your first major title in Mexico? I witnessed it from up high. You took your boot to that poor girlâs face so viciously that she had to be hospitalized. She hasnât wrestled a match since. It was a nefarious act that broke another personâs body and spirit, but it still led to arguably your greatest achievement to date. If you want to defeat Wallace, you must do the same. I know you can succeed where Sarah failed.â
âYou donât understand!â Angelica shouted so loudly that she feared for a second the ghost of her father might disperse. âIâm NOT Sarah! I love her dearly, but Iâm not her! And Iâm sorry, okay? Sorry Iâm not as a vicious as she is, Iâm sorry Iâm not the ravenous, raging bloodthirsty monster that she can be! I was raised without ever being loved or cared for! I had to find my own way ever since I was born, because my mother was tyrannized by a merciless monster of a man whose only interest was protecting his own hide! I saw the ugliness of what your teachings produced, âfatherâ! I saw how they warped minds and turned good people bad! Just look at Aveline! The whole world outside of your borders thinks sheâs a crazy person! So yeah, Iâm sorry for not being what you want me to be. I didnât have the luxury of growing up in a castle with a multitude of servants fulfilling my every desire. I didnât have the luxury of having a loving parent!â
This time, it was the specter who cast his eyes downward. They betrayed genuine regret, even in death.
âYes. In that, you are correct, my child. I was never there for you. I wasnât there to help guide you and set you on the right path. I havenât known many regrets in life, and even fewer in death⌠but knowing that you were taken from me was a realization that cut deeper than any blade ever could. I loved Mary. Your mother was precious to me, Angelica; her departure was hard to fathom. I had people search for her, yet she vanished without a trace. The traitor Fern did an excellent job of covering his tracks. Of course, as a former Head of security he knew all the tricks. Had I known your mother was with child I wouldnât have stopped until I found you both, even if I had to burn down the whole Northern hemisphere! I would have doted on you like I doted on Sarah, Angelica. I would have raised you the right way. HoweverâŚâ
The specter of Jean-Paul Lacklan straightened his back, growing even taller. His height was intimidating, but Angelica didnât back down despite the ominous beginning of his sentence.
âWhy is it that you never embraced your heritage? Why do you put the legacy of Lacklan squarely on Sarahâs shoulders? Why did you not tell her the truth and joined her side? She is older, but she would never see you as a rival. We are all connected. A legacy. A dynasty. One that stretches farther than you realize. And you must embrace it, Angelica, or it will be your downfall. It is the only way you can defeat Alan Wallace.â
âNo! Youâre wrong! Iâve proven everybody wrong before! Nobody said Dave and I could win the Co-op titles either, but we did! And we did it the right way!â
âRydellâŚâ He spat the name of Angelicaâs partner out as if heâd just sucked the poison out of an open wound. âAn unworthy peasant who does not belong at your side. The fact he shares a bed with the mother of my child makes me want to open up a rapture and swallow the world whole! Everybody sees that you are successful in spite of him, Angelica. He is dead weight you need to cut or he will drag you down to the bottom of the ocean with the rest of the muck.â
âYouâre wrong. Youâre wrong!!â Angelica stubbornly shook her head like a toddler refusing a spoonful of sprouts, not willing to believe or accept a thing she was hearing. Dave was a great guy, a prime example of someone who turned his life around and became a better person because of it. A guy who so many people had written off, but through hard work and determination had made the most of the few opportunities heâd been given. Yet that did not seem to please the specter.
âRemember who you are, my child. You are a World Champion. You are the face of a generation. You are the benchmark. But only if you remember! You can only run from God for so long, Daughter.â
The apparition began to slowly fade. Panicked, Angelica put her arms out, trying to skid across ther surface of the water to hang on to shreds of illusions that she wasnât even sure were real. There were so many more things she wanted to ask, so many more questions that plagued her mind, so much more advice she needed⌠So many answers she didnât know if she wanted to hear or not.
âNo! Wait!â
âRemember.
He floated away, before dissipating like a cloud in a gust of wind. Angelica sank to her knees again at the edge of the pool, left with nothing but her own reflection and thoughts.
She knew what she had to do. She just didnât know if it was going to be worth it. Whether her conscience could deal with what her blood was telling her.
But what if he was wrong? What if she COULD become World Champion without tapping into her deepest and darkest reserves? Did she not owe it too herself to try?
It felt like a rapture had opened up inside her mind, a struggle between light and dark. The little angel and devil on her shoulder, forever engaged in a tug-of-war.
She rose back to her feet, and her legs carried her back home. She had no idea where she was, but instinct carried her. It felt like going downhill. As she went back through the thick of trees. And walked along the soft, green grass. Which slowly turned back into coarse, unforgiving sand the closer she got to home. And without realizing how or why, she made her way back, collapsing on her couch until dawn broke.
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The rift is deep, there is fire below
but up in the sky, a horn will blow
the sound of air, the sound of life
hell might be near, yet light will thrive
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but up in the sky, a horn will blow
the sound of air, the sound of life
hell might be near, yet light will thrive
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INFINITY
Moments before the main event
Backstage
Moments before the main event
Backstage
Angelica stands before the camera, clad in her new ring attire. The pink bodysuit with matching cape makes her look like a heroine out of a Marvel movie, and the championship title belt draped over her shoulder only affirms the belief that weâre looking at a woman of great capabilities. Yet her own focus is on the empty shoulder. The void on the opposite side of the Co-op championship is like a black hole, drawing everything towards it. But unlike a black hole, it can be filled.
Angelica closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she reopens them, she stares straight into the camera.
âTonight are the nights we live for. Tonight is the night Iâve worked so long and so hard for. Tonight is the night why I, as a silly little seventeen-year-old, fled my home and risked everything. Itâs why I decided to stop staring at wrestlers from the other side of the barricade and decided to emulate these powerful larger-than-life figures.
Since then, Iâve come a long way. Iâve shed blood, sweat, tears; Iâve wept, laughed, Iâve fallen down and picked myself up again. Iâve had my hand raised in victory, and Iâve had had to slap it against the mat in humiliating submission defeats. But never will I have come as far as I have tonight. Never has the opportunity been this monumental, never have the stakes been this high. I stand before you, unafraid but proud to have been granted this opportunity. The fact that the Coalition has deemed me worthy to challenge for their top prize, to allow me to carry on the rich tradition of the UGWC World Heavyweight Championship, from when Donovan Hastings first won it in 2010. Over the years, many great champions have had the honor of carrying it, like Zane Scott, Travis Roberts, Jet Somers and the late, great Eden Morgan. But none have held it for longer than Alan Wallace, my opponent tonight. He is the apex of UGWC, the standard by which we must all measure ourselves. Perhaps not in attitude, but certainly in accomplishments.â
Angelica pats herself on the empty shoulder.
âTonight, I intend to add my name to that list. I intend to show Alan Wallace that, as great as he is, he is not invincible. He can be conquered. And therein lies his biggest fear: he is not infallible.
Because the thing that your fear most, Alan Wallace, is looking like the rest of us. Looking human. And if anyone can put you back down on the ground, put you back on Earth so you have to once again walk among the rest of us, you best believe itâs going to be the Vaughnemous One! I have always strived for equality, and if I win this title, WHEN I win this title, I will no way, shape or form consider myself superior to the rest. Evil tongues claim that a champion who doesnât consider him- or herself superior is demolishing the importance of the championship title he carries, but I disagree. Weâre all only confined by the walls that we build ourselves. Everybody can be great! But I have stepped on the rungs of opportunity and climbed the ladder of success. I am here, and I am coming for you, Alan Wallace. No longer will your Vanity overshadow the Coalition. I will give it back to everybody. Because I defeat my opponents. I charge on. To glory I shall. And to victory I will!!
Letâs go get it!!!â
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